Friday, April 10, 2026

Opening Scripture

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Opening Prayer

Sing the wondrous love of Jesus, sing His mercy and his grace. In the mansions bright and blessed, He’ll prepare for us a place. While we walk the pilgrim pathway, clouds will overspread the sky. But when traveling days are over, not a shadow, not a sigh. Let us then be true and faithful, trusting, serving every day. Just one glimpse of Him in glory will the toils of life repay. Onward to the prize before us! Soon His beauty we’ll behold. Soon the pearly gates will open, we shall tread the streets of gold. When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be. When we all see Jesus we’ll sing and shout the victory!

Daily Bible Reading

1 Corinthians 15:35-58

But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. Not all flesh is the same: People have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.

So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.

If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man.

I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Reflection  

Corinth’s diverse population was comprised of rich and poor, slave and free, soldiers and merchants, Jews and pagans. It was a hodgepodge of cultures, philosophies, and lifestyles. Over the years, Corinth was home to at least twelve different temples. One of the most famous was the temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, whose worshipers practiced “religious prostitution.” At one point, there were a thousand sacred (priestess) prostitutes serving there. Corinth was famous for its open, unbridled immorality.

Perhaps it’s no wonder that the young church established in that community was having trouble. Although there was abundant evidence of the Spirit’s gifting and power, the congregation had broken into factions. Hurt feelings, bad choices, and petty squabbles flourished. There was sexual immorality among the members, and their reputation was badly tarnished.

After Paul’s initial visit to Corinth, his opponents had come in behind him to discredit him and his work there. They were “false teachers” who claimed to be “apostles.” They sought to undermine Paul’s authority and integrity. They spread heretical teachings that contradicted Paul’s message. With captivating and entertaining speech, these haughty “super apostles” led the people astray.

It appears that Paul was eventually reconciled to the Corinthian church. Truth was ultimately embraced. Heresy was finally rejected. Sin was openly confessed. Relationships were lovingly restored. 2 Corinthians 7 seems to indicate that Paul’s rebuke helped to bring about godly sorrow, repentance, earnestness to do right, and eagerness to clear the church’s reputation.

In today’s passage, Paul continues to address the Corinthians questions about resurrection. In all fairness, it is a mysterious and incomprehensible phenomenon. And apart from Almighty God’s supernatural power, it’s impossible.

For Paul, though, it all seems rather obvious. After repeating their questions, he replied, “How foolish!” He then appeals to the basic laws of nature and agriculture.

When a seed is sown, it “dies” and produces a new plant. The new plant is like the seed (of the same kind), but it’s a whole new plant. In the animal kingdom, there are similarities among living things, but each species is different. And the stars and planets each have their own “splendor.”

In the same way, our perishable human bodies will die a natural death and produce an imperishable spiritual body – sown in weakness and marred imperfection; raised in power and glorious perfection. Adam was given the first earthly body, and we all took after him. Jesus was given the first heavenly body, and one day his disciples will all take after Him.

There are things we can know about our resurrected bodies and things we can’t know. Presumably, Jesus’ resurrected body serves as a model of sorts for our own. These current flesh and blood physical bodies are incapable of living eternally. Our eternal resurrected bodies will be perfectly suited for our new home.

Regardless of form or substance, our new bodies will be tangible and recognizable. Freed from the stain and destruction of sin, they will more purely reflect our divine nature and glory. Freed from the twist of suffering and pain, they will more fully reflect the joy and beauty of the Lord.

Death has been defeated, and our Lord Jesus Christ is victorious! One day, we will inhabit our heavenly bodies so that we can dwell with Him for eternity. We must hold fast to that promise, allowing it to inspire us each day. As our Opening Scripture concludes, “And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

Flourishing Habit

Happiness and Life Satisfaction

The average life expectancy in the U.S. is approximately 79 years. Of course, this figure can vary based on any number of factors, including gender, race, geographic location, heredity, and lifestyle choices.

Legendary American actor, Dick Van Dyke, recently turned 100. He credits his remarkable longevity to maintaining a positive outlook and never getting angry. Numerous studies support his claim, noting that low stress levels and an optimistic attitude correlate with living longer.

One study found that optimism is specifically related to an 11%-15% longer life span, on average, and to greater odds of achieving “exceptional longevity,” that is, living to the age of 85 or beyond. This was independent of socio-economic status, health conditions, and health behaviors.

Another study that looked at 160,000 women from a range of ethnic backgrounds found that those who reported being optimistic were more likely to live into their 90’s compared to pessimists.

The other factor Van Dyke mentioned – never getting angry – is also significant. People who have a more positive outlook appear to be better at controlling their anger. Anger triggers the release of primary stress hormones – particularly in men – that lead to a decline in cardiovascular health. The strain of chronic stress and anger is linked to heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes, which together account for roughly 75% of early deaths.

It turns out, happier people tend to be healthier people.

In our Flourishing and The Church survey, “Happiness and Life Satisfaction” ranked third (7.46 out of 10) of the six domains. Numerous studies have shown that an attitude of gratitude helps foster forgiveness, which improves mental and physical well-being, reduces anxiety and depression, and promotes better social connections.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 tells us, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” To rejoice is a choice! We choose joy…not because of our circumstances, but despite them. When we submit to the Spirit’s control throughout the day, He enables us to resist anger and offer forgiveness more easily.

When we “pray continually,” we remain in God’s presence, acknowledging His involvement in every encounter. We don’t just go to God when there’s a problem. We live constantly in His presence, sharing challenges and celebrating blessings with Him.

Take God at His word. Trust Him to provide for you. Cultivate the kind of relational closeness to your Heavenly Father that fosters a deep and abiding confidence in Him. In every situation, by prayer and petition, present your concerns to God. Let His peace guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

And look forward to your resurrected body.

Remember: Nothing changes until something changes!